A finding has to be reproducible to be believable. Only if different scientists in different places do the same study and get the same outcomes can physicians have confidence the finding is actually true. Only then is it ready to be put into clinical practice.Technorati Tags: Medicine, Clinical Studies
Nevertheless, one of medicine's most overlooked problems is the fact that some questions keep being asked over and over. Repeated tests of the same diagnostic study or treatment are a waste -- of time and money, and of volunteers' trust and self-sacrifice. Unnecessary clinical trials may also cost lives.
All this is leading some experts to ask a new question: "What part of 'yes' don't doctors understand?"
I'm Dr. Joshua Schwimmer, a nephrologist and internal medicine physician in New York City. • Kidney Notes was the first active nephrology blog. (Trivia: Kidney Notes is so old that the National Library of Medicine still uses it as an example of how to formally cite blogs.) • Professionally, you can find me at Kidney.nyc. • Kidney Notes is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult qualified health care professionals. See disclaimer.
Monday, January 2, 2006
Superfluous Medical Studies Called Into Question
The Washington Post asks "Do we really need to be studying that again?"